by Peter Carlson | Jan 7, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk follows a long-standing tradition of the Orlando Insight Meditation Group to provide an opportunity for those members who have completed a retreat of at least one week to be able to describe their experience in ways that might help them clarify their experience as well as inform and inspire others regarding the insights gained and other benefits derived from retreat practices. Peter reports on his 18-day self-retreat which ended December 28, 2020. He describes the structure of the retreat, the resources that he used and the insights gained from the experience. His description is followed by questions from those attending seeking clarification or reporting on similar insights from their own retreat experiences.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:59 — 128.1MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jan 7, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation was recorded January 6, 2021, while the U.S. Capitol building was being invaded by rioters, with the intention of the guidance being to provide support for addressing whatever fear or anger might have been stirred up witnessing the events through various media prior to the start of the meeting. The guidance suggests first cultivating lovingkindness (metta) towards self, then later in the meditation projecting lovingkindness as an antidote for others who might be afflicted with aversion and ill-will.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:59 — 82.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Dec 10, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the Seven Awakening Factors: Mindfulness, Investigation of Mental Phenomena, Energy/Effort, Joy/Enthusiastic Interest, Tranquility, Concentration/Stability of Attention and Equipoise/Balance of Factors. Each factor is briefly reviewed, describing its characteristics and function. The intention originally was to include a review of the Progressions of Insight, a Theravadin system for identifying states of mind that are increasingly subtle, oriented toward realizing directly the characteristics of impermanence (anicca), the absence of an enduring/autonomous self (anatta), and the distress and confusion that results from the mind’s subjugation by craving and clinging (dukkha). Regrettably, due to the complexity of the reviews, there was insufficient time to adequately review the Progressions of Insight. You are invited to download and review the extensive notes regarding the Seven Awakening Factors and the Progressions of Insight prepared for this talk in order to more fully comprehend these important concepts that allow the mind to be liberated, with the potential for realizing the ultimate attainment, Nirvana.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Cultivating The Factors For Awakening
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:31 — 110.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | Dec 10, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation provides a contemplative review of the seven awakening factors with suggestions on how to recognize each of the seven and how they complement each other in operation, developing the capacity for Awakening. This meditation is intended to accompany the Dharma talk which followed entitled “The Seven Awakening Factors”, recorded December 9, 2020.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:57 — 82.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Dec 3, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the key Buddhist concept of paticca sammuppada, typically translated as dependent origination. During the talk, Peter explains an alternative understanding he developed, contingent provisional emergence, using terms that are hopefully more useful for contemporary Buddhist practitioners. Paticca sammuppada has 12 elements, which are individually reviewed during the talk, emphasizing their non-linear, co-creative function in creating on a moment-by-moment basis the subjective self we all experience. Specific focus is placed on the interactions between feeling and craving/clinging as the target for wise attention in order to change one’s karma, bringing relief from dukkha–distress and confusion. This review is followed by comments from those participating in the Zoom meeting. There is an accompanying guided meditation for this talk: “Guided Changing Your Mind Meditation”, posted in the archive.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Contingent Provisional Emergence
The focus for next week’s talk is a review of the process of Awakening.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:06 — 126.5MB)
